Valentine carefully parked his car in the only available spot outside the children’s hospital. It seemed particularly crowded today, with vehicles filling every parking space. He came here every day as if it were a job: handling paperwork, stopping by his favorite cafe for a cup of coffee, and then hurrying to see his daughter, even if just for a little while. For several months now, the little girl had been in the clinic.

The doctors couldn’t quite explain what was wrong with his child. Valentine had consulted with top specialists, but they only repeated the same thing: the brain operates on its own, controlling everything else. This drove him mad.

“You’re just hiding your helplessness behind these complicated terms!” he snapped one day, unable to hold back.

The doctors merely shrugged, glancing down.

“This is a result of tremendous stress. The brain creates barriers we can’t control,” one of the doctors attempted to explain.

“I don’t understand anything! My daughter is fading before my eyes, and you’re saying she can’t be healed?! I have money—I’ll give everything! I’d give my last penny to save Michelle!”

“Money won’t help here,” the doctor sighed quietly.

“Then what will? Just tell me! I’ll find it, buy it!”

“It can’t be bought… Honestly, I don’t even know how to explain this… Something special must happen, or rather, something must not happen, for her body… her brain… to reset itself.”

“What are you even talking about?! Should I consult a healer too?” Valentine exploded.

The elderly doctor regarded him intently.

“You know, if you decide to, I won’t try to stop you. I repeat: conventional methods are powerless here. All we can provide is peace, positive emotion… and support the body with medication. And one more thing,” the doctor lowered his voice, “I would leave your daughter in the hospital if I were you. She’s been brought in by ambulance twice. You understand that when she falls into this state, there’s a risk she won’t make it here in time. Under constant observation, that won’t happen.”

Valentine grabbed his head. He was terrified of losing his wife, sensing it could happen any moment, and couldn’t fathom how he’d cope with her loss. Michelle adored her mum, and he… revered both of them. Now, he had to push his grief aside to focus on saving his daughter, also named Michelle.

To his surprise, the little girl accepted her prolonged stay in the hospital with calmness. She stroked her father’s cheek and softly said, “Dad, don’t worry so much. I won’t cry, and you can work peacefully instead of sitting at home with me all the time.”

Valentine didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. His eight-year-old daughter spoke as though she were an adult.

“Hold her! Man!” a sudden shout pierced the air. Valentine flinched and turned towards the noise. A girl was running towards the hospital, panting, chased by a flustered security guard from a nearby shop. It looked like she had stolen something. As she dashed past Valentine’s car, she cast a fearful glance his way.

“Goodness… they can’t even spare a loaf of bread for a child?” he muttered, getting out of the car just as the guard reached him.

“Stop! What are you shouting about?”

“I’ll deal with you in a moment! Get out of my way!”

The guard finally noticed Valentine and his car.

“I need to catch her! She stole!”

“What did she steal?” Valentine smirked.

“A bottle of water and a bun… And who knows how much more she has hidden!”

Valentine fished out a few notes.

“This should be more than enough to pay for that and even celebrate the return of the stolen goods,” he murmured to himself, watching the guard hurry away.

Afterwards, Valentine made his way to the doctor’s office. Their conversations were usually formal, but today the doctor kept him a little longer.

“Valentine, I have a question… Today, Michelle asked if she could interact with other kids in the ward.”

“And what does that mean?” Valentine frowned, sitting down.

“In my view, it’s a good sign. She’s starting to show interest in what’s happening beyond her room. However, not all my colleagues share this viewpoint. Many believe that after prolonged isolation, interacting with a large number of children may be too overwhelming for her psyche. I can’t refute that argument, though I don’t fully agree with it. You need to think about it, talk to Michelle, and decide whether to allow it or not.”

“Right, you want to pass the buck on me,” Valentine sighed.

The doctor took off his glasses, cleaned them, and sighed too.

“Yes, you’re right. We genuinely want your daughter to recover, but… we understand that if something goes wrong, you will absolutely crush us. And there are over fifteen children in the ward.”

Valentine got up and headed for the exit but paused at the door.

“Thank you for your honesty. Maybe you’re right. I’ll talk to my daughter.”

He thought he saw the doctor breathe a sigh of relief. Before entering the room, Valentine tried to force a smile. He couldn’t enter with a gloomy face. But no matter how hard he tried, the smile felt strained. He was about to see his little girl, who lately had barely risen or eaten—not because she didn’t want to, but because her body refused to accept food.

The door creaked softly as Michelle turned her head. At first, she looked frightened, as if she didn’t recognize him, but then her face lit up with a smile.

“Hi, Dad!”

Was it just him, or did her cheeks have a hint of color?

“How are you feeling?”

“Okay.”

An odd feeling crept over Valentine, as if his daughter wanted him to leave quickly. But that was impossible—besides the nurses and educators assigned to the VIP wards, she hadn’t seen anyone else. He sat down on a chair beside her bed and began to pull out some treats.

“I stopped by the shop… Look at these beautiful apples!”

“Oh, thanks, Dad,” Michelle murmured softly.

Valentine’s hand froze over the tray. The plates there were completely empty—the dinner just brought to her.

“Michelle, what’s going on here?”

The little girl sighed and said, gazing off to the side, “Come out, don’t be scared. I have a kind dad.”

And that’s when Valentine saw another girl emerge from behind the curtain—the very same girl who had rushed past his car. She looked at him, wide-eyed with fear, while Michelle began talking.

“Daddy, please don’t chase her away! I promise I’ll share my apple with Katie. Where will she go? She has nobody, and it’s cold and dark outside, and she was hungry and frightened…”

Valentine gazed at his daughter in confusion. She sat up in bed, biting her lip, and her cheeks were adorably flushed. He turned to the girl, who looked a year or two older than Michelle.

“Are you Katie?” he asked.

The girl nodded.

“I’m Valentine, Michelle’s dad.”

Katie nodded again, then timidly asked, “Are you really Michelle? What a beautiful name!”

His daughter smiled faintly.

“No, I’m Masha. But my mum called me Michelle, and I always responded to it…”

“Oh, right… mum isn’t here anymore,” Katie sighed. “I don’t have a mum either, but that was so long ago, I don’t remember her at all.”

Valentine silently watched as the girls connected. Katie cautiously settled on the edge of the bed, taking care to pull back the blanket to keep it clean. “She doesn’t look too great,” he thought, instinctively slicing an apple into wedges. He offered a piece to Michelle and Katie. They accepted, continuing to whisper among themselves. Valentine couldn’t help but smile.

“I see you two have plenty to talk about.”

His daughter looked at him with pleading eyes.

“Dad, please let Katie stay! She can lie on the couch. And we can chat a bit more.”

Valentine contemplated it. The girl seemed harmless, but who knew what could happen?

“Hey, Katie, there are some of Michelle’s clothes in the closet. Take whatever you need and hurry to the shower! And make sure you come out looking human. I’ll tell the doctor that Michelle has her sister visiting and that she will stay the night. But just keep an eye on me!”

Michelle clapped her hands joyfully.

“Thank you, Daddy!”

Katie sprinted to the closet, opened it carefully, and gasped in amazement. She picked out a light pair of trousers and a T-shirt. “I’ll be quick!” she called as she disappeared into the bathroom.

Once the door closed behind Katie, Valentine turned to his daughter.

“So, how are you, sweetheart?”

“Dad, it was so boring today! I even wanted to cry. I asked to join the other kids, but the doctor said it needed your permission. Then Katie climbed in through the window… can you believe it? The window is so high!”

“Yes… Are you sure you want her to stay?”

“Absolutely! When you leave, can you ask for us to have sweet hot tea?”

Valentine’s eyebrows raised in surprise. He simply nodded. It took some effort to arrange a place for Katie to sleep. He even paid for the VIP room. The doctor shook his head.

“I don’t know… You know best, of course, but keep in mind…”

“I’ve heard you. I’ll come by in the morning for breakfast. Michelle asked for hot sweet tea… two cups. Who should I ask?”

The doctor looked at him in astonishment.

“Two? For the girl and for yourself?”

“Exactly.”

“I’ll take care of that… You know, a watched kettle never boils.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I won’t say anything yet. Let’s see how things go tomorrow. Then we’ll talk.”

Valentine felt a change in Michelle today. But whether it was good or bad, he couldn’t quite tell. That night, he slept restlessly, waking several times. Eventually, he called the duty doctor, Michael Peterson.

“Sorry for calling so late.”

“Not at all. To be honest, I expected your call sooner. Everything’s fine. They chatted until midnight when Alla sent them off to bed. They’re both sleeping now. Michelle’s blood pressure is normal, no spikes. She drank her tea by herself.”

“Thank you, Michael Peterson,” Valentine sighed with relief, quickly falling into a troubled slumber.

The hospital had a characteristic scent: of milk porridge and something unmistakably childlike. Valentine cautiously made his way among the little patients bustling through the corridor. Surprisingly, those on crutches moved just as quickly as those only sporting a bandage on their heads.

Finally reaching his daughter’s room, he sighed with relief. Just as he was about to open the door, it swung wide open. Alla, the nurse caring for Michelle, stood there. This kind-hearted young woman always inspired trust. She looked at Valentine, discreetly wiped away a tear, and softly said:

“You’re not just a father… you’re the best father. No one would suspect that this is exactly what she needed.”

With that, Alla left, and Valentine, taken aback, watched her go. “I’ll figure this out now,” he thought, freezing at the doorway. The girls hadn’t noticed him. How could they, when all their attention was focused on the TV screen, where an animated mouse was playing tricks on a cat?

They sat on the bed, legs tucked up, each holding a bowl of porridge. Laughing heartily, they stuffed their cheeks with the food, oatmeal occasionally spilling over the edges of the bowls. Michelle’s clothes were clearly a bit small for Katie—something needed to be done.

Valentine observed his daughter closely. She scooped a spoonful of porridge into her mouth, and nothing happened! Michelle swallowed it calmly and continued to laugh at the cartoon.

Katie was the first to spot him. She nudged her friend lightly with her elbow and nodded towards him. Michelle turned around. Valentine couldn’t suppress an astonished gasp. Just yesterday, her eyes were hollow, as if she didn’t want to see or hear anything around her. And today, sitting in front of him was a lively, cheerful girl… albeit worn thin.

“Daddy!” Michelle exclaimed gleefully.

He quietly moved to the bed and hugged his daughter tightly, then Katie. Yes, right now he was ready to do anything for this girl he hardly knew. But just then, Katie suddenly sniffed. Valentine’s concern grew.

“Sorry, did I hurt you? Did I squeeze too hard?”

Katie shook her head, while Michelle pointedly grabbed her hand and gave her father a serious look.

“Dad, don’t hurt her anymore!” she declared.

Valentine nodded rapidly. Katie wiped her tears and quietly said, “It’s not because of that… It’s just, I haven’t been hugged like this in such a long time.”

A week later, Valentine took his daughter home. All throughout that time, Katie had been beside her. Michelle had noticeably improved, running through the halls with the other kids and chatting animatedly. As the doctors, amazed by Michelle’s “phenomenal” recovery, conducted her full check-up, Valentine focused on Katie.

Katie’s mother had disappeared when she was just two years old. No one knew where she had gone, but everyone was convinced she was no longer alive. Her life had not been a pleasant one. After her disappearance, Katie had lived with her grandmother, but she passed away six months ago. The girl was sent to a children’s home, where she had a conflict with one of the nannies, who had raised a hand to her, causing Katie to run away. That was the sad story of her life.

When Valentine arrived to pick up Michelle, Katie had gathered her few belongings. She stood up, hugged her friend tightly, then looked hesitantly at Valentine.

“Thank you… I’ll be going now…”

“And where are you headed?” he asked.

Their eyes met.

“Back to the children’s home, probably. It’s cold outside now.”

Valentine pondered for a moment.

“Am I to understand that I set up a room next to Michelle for nothing? You… don’t want to be her sister?” he suggested cautiously.

Michelle squealed with joy first, throwing her arms around her dad’s neck. Following her, Katie hugged him while sniffing back tears. As they left the hospital, all the nurses gathered to see them off, tears streaming down their faces. But Valentine only had eyes for Alla and her kind, understanding gaze.

Six months later, he couldn’t imagine life without Katie. Just like sisters—Michelle and Katie—were inseparable.